Space Needle unveils world’s only revolving glass floor, 500 feet in the air

The new glass floor at the Space Needle. (Space Needle Photo / John Lok)

If you’re scared of heights, you might not want to look down.

As a part of its $100 million renovation, which is nearing completion, Seattle’s iconic landmark is unveiling a glass revolving floor 500 feet in the air. It’s called the Loupe, and the Space Needle bills it as the world’s “first and only revolving glass floor.”

The Loupe is made of 37 tons of glass and powered by 12 motors, which can adjust in speed. The floor can make a full rotation in 20 minutes at its fastest, but when the Loupe opens to visitors, the floor will be moving at 45 minutes per full rotation.

The glass exposes downward views of the Space Needle’s exterior, a new vantage point for visitors to see the landmark — you can see the elevator coming up the structure’s side from above. It also provides views of the surrounding area, from the Seattle Center to the water.

The Loupe opened to visitors today. Advance tickets can be purchased on the Space Needle’s website, or at the box office in person.

The Century Project renovation, the Space Needle’s largest to date, began in September 2017. The Loupe joins other new additions to the landmark, including new glass benches on the observation deck.

Kaitlyn Wangis an NYU broadcast journalism and history student interning at GeekWire during the summer of 2018 through the Dow Jones News Fund. A Bay Area native, she has been an editorial intern at Inc. Magazine, and a staff writer, features editor and managing editor at Washington Square News, NYU's independent student newspaper. Email her at kaitlyn [at] geekwire.com or follow her @kaitlynzw.